Cecelia
by HOMRA
Summary: She took him in, seen him at his lowest before she built him into who he was today. As a result, he took everything from her without meaning to - a life, friends, and a home - all because of his cowardice. Now Cecelia will have to decide what's more important, the life of a human or the life of a wolf? TsumexOC Pre-canon.
1. Tsume

Wolf's Rain

HOMRA: That's right, I'm back! Took me some time to get around working on this since I'm in my final years of college and acquired a hell of a lot of domestic issues. Either way, hope you enjoy the revise!

* * *

Tsume

"Another freezing winter," Cecelia muttered as she tried to blink away the frost from her eyes. The weather seemed to get worst each day and her wooly mittens could not protect her hands from the biting cold that chased her. The same could be said with every other citizen within the city. There was never a person she passed by who hasn't sniffled or coughed as sickness came to claim them. The rundown state of the city never made it any easier.

The sky was dark and she finished her last delivery on the other side of town as quick as she could. She knocked the door and stood there with box in hand, puffing out white clouds from her mouth as she waited for someone to answer. No one came and Cecelia shifted uneasily the longer she stood out in the open. Another minute went by and she knew no one was coming, so she placed the box down on the steps before she made her way down the street.

The alley was definitely the last place any sensible individual would have thought of traversing – especially at night. Cecelia knew the dangers but she also knew it was a two-way street. She could see who was walking from the other end but the real danger was what could be lurking behind her. She turned her head for the umpteenth time to see if anyone was following and nearly scared herself shitless when she stumbled into a pile of garage. She fortunately caught herself before she could hit the ground, and Cecelia gave the trash a disgusted grimace.

It was then she noted the overturned wheelie bin nearby. There was the sound of crackling from the bags as mice picked at the exposed garbage, and she wondered what could have the strength to knock down the bin. The amount of trash that was scattered about indicated that the can was previously filled to the brim.

There was a lump nearby, and under the dim lighting of the orange lamps she could have mistaken the object for a thrown out fur coat. Cecelia squinted and corrected herself. The coat turned out to be nothing more than a dog – unmoving and seemingly dead. The snow around it was washed with pink, so she approached the creature cautiously. Curiosity gnawed at her consciousness, and she stuck out a foot to nudge the dog's rump as a precaution.

In a split second the dog sprung to life, leaping onto its paws to whip around and bite the offending limb. Cecelia was quick and pulled back just in time to avoid the snapping maw. Her heart jumped, startled by the sound of the dog's thunderous barking. She backed away and prepared to run should the canine pursue her, but she paused and pursed her lips at the sight of blood that ran down from the dog's chest.

She didn't realize until now that the dog in front of her was unusually large. Something of that stature would be enough to push a wheelie bin over.

The dog made no move to attack her, just threaten, and Cecelia's fingers itched to reach for her phone and call animal control. It was dangerous for something so large and feral to be wandering around the neighborhood, but she couldn't bring herself to have the dog euthanized – especially in this city. No one cared much for animals, not during these times.

So she stayed.

Cecelia squatted and observed the dog before her. The canine's snarls quieted but its fangs were still barred. It licked its flews nervously and proceeded to sit down, nearly falling onto its side as the loss of blood took its toll. She had no idea how bad the wound was, but she could see the reddening skin beneath his matted fur. Another glance out of curiosity and she confirmed the dog was male.

"_It looks recent,"_ Cecelia thought as she turned her attention to the wound. "_It doesn't look or smell bad, so infection hasn't settled in yet."_ Not yet, but it will happen. The canine was weak and seemed to have trouble keeping his head up. He wasn't shivering either, a sign that he may be in danger of hypothermia. Even with his fur, the city was freezing. In any case, he would not last long out in the cold, especially eating garbage. He was out of options and she had plenty of them to give.

She reached out to him, palm stretched outward and fingers curled in. The dog's visage morphed from defense to confusion and his fangs disappeared from sight. The ball was in his court and it would be up to him to determine whether she was allowed to help. Just a single bite, an attempt, and Cecelia would be walking home with a heavy heart. If he didn't, then maybe, just maybe she'd be able to save him.

A wet nose brush against her and she smiled as he licked her fingers, a little unsure as to what she was asking of him.

"You can't stay here," Cecelia whispered, hoping he would be able to understand her gibberish. "You lost a lot of blood and no amount of fur will be able to keep you warm out here – oh!" She stood up in surprise when the dog struggled to push himself off the ground, as if offended by her words.

She moved away to see if he would follow and frowned when he didn't. Instead, his head slowly sunk back to the ground before he gave up entirely; body weight settled onto the cold concrete.

Cecelia didn't know whether to laugh or to worry some more. Her approach this time did not warrant a snarl, and she bent over to see what he would do if she tried picking him up. He struggled and slipped through her arms whilst growling at her. She tried again. This time he was too weak to fight her off when she hefted his body against hers. Cecelia took a moment to fix her grip so he wouldn't slip out of her grasp when she started walking. He remained limp throughout the entire ride, and her muscles strained from overuse.

She managed somehow to get him to her apartment, a one-bedroom unit just affordable with her current salary. Rent was at an all-time low, and she had no trouble paying for the expenses. It was the groceries that put a hole in her pocket. What used to be two hundred a month was now three-fifty to four hundred dollars. It only seemed to climb higher in time.

Her room was on the second floor and she wisely chose the stairs, just to avoid any meddling neighbors at this hour. The entire area was clear, and she quickly made her way to her designated flat. Cecelia put the dog on the ground just so she could dig for her keys, and grimaced at the sight of the blood streaks on her coat. That was not going to wash out easily.

Finding her keys, she inserted it into the keyhole and turned the lock so that she could open the door. The dog surprised her by getting up and shuffling into the living room on his own. He did not get far, and curled up against the wall of the adjacent kitchen counter. Cecelia came in after him and shut the door behind her, the lock clicked and echoed throughout the empty unit. Her apartment was warm and toasty in contrast to the biting cold outside, and she shrugged off her coat before she could swelter in it.

The dog didn't seem bothered by the temperature and continued resting – his ears swiveled as she walked by. She went towards the fridge first and then checked the cabinets for anything remotely edible for a dog. What she ended up was some half-cooked vegetables, sliced fruit, and some defrosted beef. Cecelia washed her hands before she mixed them within a bowl and set it beside the dog. He got up immediately at the smell of food and stuck his muzzle into the array – munching on it.

Satisfied, Cecelia went towards her bathroom down the hall to acquire some disinfectant and gauze. There would be no way she'd be able to stitch his wounds on her own or even attempt drugging him. She was not a vet, so she had to make do.

Cecelia returned to the kitchen to find the dog curled up against the wall once more, his food bowl empty. He looked up at her return and raised his head warily when she crouched before him and proceeded to uncap the bottle of disinfectant. The smell was unpleasant and he looked ready to bolt the moment she covered the nozzle with a cloth and dipped it. She reached for his chest and he jerked with his lips pulled back, teeth barred in warning.

She frowned and attempted again, only to feel the skim of teeth across her hands before he skittered away. He did not draw blood but the threat was not lost on her.

"Unless you want your chest infected and oozing with pus, I suggest you let me clean your wound," Cecelia chided as she approached again. His hackles were still raised but he did not move away, which astounded her. She didn't expect him to understand but there he was – waiting for the inevitable.

When he made no move to bite her, she tried again. His whole body flinched despite her gentle to nonexistent touch. She could see the tremble of pain rock through him as she continued, but he did not move away like she expected him to, like he wanted to.

Only when she was done did he calm down. His expression morphed into relief before he licked his lips nervously and he looked at her with ears erected. She came at him with bandages this time, wrapping his chest in gauze in order to protect it from any floating debris. He didn't flinch.

She pulled back and found the white gauze already seeped with small blotches of red but nothing of great concern.

He laid down once more, his eyelids heavy as he looked at her blearily.

Cecelia huffed out a laugh and reached over to scratch his head lightly. "I should really give you a name shouldn't I?" she asked his unresponsive form.

"Tsume."

It was a passing whisper, and Cecelia figured it could only be a figment of her imagination.

"Tsume," she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "Tsume sounds right."

Her eyes fell to his long unmaintained claws. "It fits."

* * *

HOMRA: I changed the meeting between Cecelia and Tsume a bit, to make it more natural. In the old version, Cecelia believed Tsume was a wolf at first glance. In this version, she – like many others – believes that wolves are extinct.


	2. Danger

HOMRA: This site has changed over the years. If my story ends up getting taken down, I'll most likely move to Archive of Our Own and put up a note here.

* * *

Danger

Tsume awakened to the kiss of sunlight on his muzzle. The heat of the warmth sun between the blinds was a reminder of his mortality. He had been so close to accepting death last night, welcomed the phantom and waited for the cold arms to take him away from this cesspool of a city. But the coward in him couldn't just leave it at that. The instincts to survive mounted to the point where he caved in, rationality broken from starvation. He scavenged like a dog, submitted to hunger and even threw away his pride by allowing a human to help him.

He had nothing left.

Tsume stood up with a grimace. His limbs ached; the soreness spread throughout his body and each step was as painful as it was gratifying. The hunger returned and he found his mouth watering at the thought of food. His lime-green eyes gravitated towards the fridge where he knew the storage would be kept. Tsume looked back at the hallway to see if the woman would be up anytime soon, then looked back at the fridge and shuffled his way over.

There was a knock on the door nearby and Tsume immediately jumped away with hackles raised. No one came through but the knocking continued. Tsume stared at it for a moment before his eyes went back to gazing longingly at the fridge before him.

"I'm up, I'm up!" came the human woman's response as she stumbled down the hall and into the living room. She hit a nearby couch with her gut and took a moment to gather her wits before she could embarrass herself any further.

She gave Tsume a quick pat on the head – much to his chagrin – before she went to answer the door. In the meanwhile Tsume pondered whether it would be okay for him to open the fridge without her permission. He huffed and sat back on his hind legs as he watched Cecelia speak to the human behind the door.

"Oh hey Donny, what's up?"

"Nothing much, I just got a call from work. Apparently there's going to be a change of plans today. We got new shipments arriving in just a few hours, big ones, and the supervisor wants us to help inspect for any damages before we deliver them. Here's the list and addresses."

Cecelia took the list and looked at it. "I'm riding with Karla?" she inquired.

"Yeah, she should be at the station when the train arrives. Just be sure to call her so she knows to wait for you."

The male stranger then turned his eyes inward and Tsume felt his fur rise at the attention.

"I didn't know you had a dog," Donny awed.

Tsume began to growl and Cecelia quickly thanked the man before shutting the door. She turned the locks and gave the wolf a quick glance before a sigh left her lips.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she asked herself.

"_I ask myself the same thing_," Tsume thought as he watched her open the fridge to pick out an apple. She threw it over to him and he reflexively caught it between his jaws. He could taste the fruit as its juices flowed from the puncture wounds and into his waiting mouth, prompting him to ignore the woman as she went about her daily routine while he ate.

Tsume tore into the fruit, ripping it into smaller chunks so that he'd be able to digest it easier. He didn't look up until he heard the sound of rushing water and curiosity won out. The human woman was doing something with the baths, pouring some sort of liquid into the rushing water. The fragrance of flowers filled the room and Tsume had to give the area a once over, confused as to where the scent was coming from.

Cecelia peered over her shoulder and laughed to find him sitting by the door. "Come here and look," she said to him, using one hand to beckon him over.

He approached cautiously and looked into the tub to find a mass of foaming bubbles covering the surface of the water.

"Don't eat it, okay?" she said and patted his head before she got up and left.

Tsume scoffed at her back before he turned to the bubbles and hesitantly touched it with a paw. The mountain of foam was weightless and had no form. He couldn't even feel it against his footpads because it was so thin. That was how Cecelia found him later, punching holes into the pile of suds. She laughed before scolding him for getting water everywhere.

He snorted but otherwise moved away from the bath as she proceeded to undress. The sight of a naked human was nothing new to him, considering it was the basis to his human illusion. So he sat there patiently as she got into the steaming tub and sunk in. The bubbles covered her modestly and she was careful to avoid getting suds on her arms as she reached out to him.

"Come here, Tsume." She called to him like one would call a dog, and he debated leaving the room altogether.

But the human continued her insistent calling and he found himself reluctantly obeying her. He seated himself at the edge of the tub, eyes closed while her dry fingers pleasantly scratched along his scalp before falling between his eyes. The rhythmic up and down motion made him drowsy, and Tsume found himself settling his head onto the tub as she continued her petting. He moved away once he no longer felt her fingers, settling himself by the door as exhaustion returned and nestled him back to sleep.

* * *

The station was as busy as ever.

"Cecelia!" A redheaded woman called out, waving her hands wildly above the crowd.

Cecelia returned the wave and smiled. "Karla, morning!" she shouted before making her way over to her co-worker. "Where's the truck?"

Karla blew hot air into her mittens before motioning to the group of men behind her. "It's parked outside the loading dock; the packages had just arrived and are being held. I don't have permission to look at them since I'm just the driver, so I had to wait for you."

"I'm not late am I?"

"No later than spring, it's cold as fuck out here," Karla complained as they made their way to the back of the building.

Cecelia followed her friend, managing her clipboard as she prepared the checklist. They made their way over to their respective dock and Cecelia took a moment to inspect the packages, marking them off once she made sure nothing was tampered with. It wouldn't sit well with the boss if the blame fell back to the local delivery service for not doing their jobs. They had enough trouble as it was with bandits.

It wasn't until about a quarter of the way through when she noticed the soldiers patrolling the area. They weren't alone. Each soldier had at least one collared dog with him. The canines were large, mostly due to their fur, and were a sandy color.

"What's with them?" Cecelia asked Karla.

Karla looked at the men once before shrugging. "I don't really know," she said. "Rumor has it that they work for Jagara and are within the area to hunt down wolves or something. I doubt it though. They're probably here just to make sure their investments get to the next city undamaged. There have been a lot of thieves around."

"I heard Freeze City was hit the hardest," Cecelia replied but her attention wouldn't leave the soldiers who glanced back at her with similar curiosity. She felt uneasy as the dogs gave her the same attention, growly lowly in her direction.

"Hey." Karla nudged her. "What's up?"

Cecelia shook her head and moved onto the next shipment. "Nothing, I'm just nervous."

"I can't blame ya, those things are fucking huge," Karla commented before she gave a violent shiver and proceeded to jump in her spot. "Oh my god Cecelia, can we please hurry? My nose feels like it's falling off!"

"Do you want to be check-listing this then?" Cecelia grumbled before she pulled out a red marker and signed over the package's white label. She did this for every package present, indicating that the expected mail had been received and accounted for. "Okay, the pile over there will be shipped off to Freeze City, the rest will have to be moved to the Distribution Center."

"City supplies then," Karla commented as they moved off to prep the truck.

"You expected anything different?" Cecelia asked as Karla walked up to their designated vehicle and opened the back.

The redhead snorted. "You don't? There have been rumors of weapon smuggling, passing through our ports and Freeze's. Something big is going down and I'm not sure our quaint little town can handle something like a small scale war."

"Is this because of those soldiers? You think Jagara wants to extend her arm to us?" Cecelia asked as the two moved off to the sidelines so that the men could load up the truck without interference.

"Puh-leeze, she'd sooner cut ours," Karla said smartly. "Nobles don't give two shits about what we commoners think."

"So why bring this up?"

"Partially to rant," the redhead answered with a shrug, "but to also warn you. I saw those guys checking you out earlier – and not in a good way. I don't want to see you end up in jail just because they wanted some tail. They're up to no good and if you see one of them, walk the other way."

Cecelia nodded before she shot her co-worker a grateful smile. "Thanks for the advice, Karla."

Karla looked up and frowned. "Don't thank me yet," said the redhead. "Look behind you."

Cecelia did – and panicked at the sight of Jagara's men lingering precariously by the doorway.

* * *

He left not much later after she did.

Tsume turned the knob in his hands and walked out into the halls, locking the door behind him mindfully. He owed her that much.

The halls were empty but the same couldn't be said for the stairwell. He passed by a pair of teenagers who barely gave his illusion a glance as they climbed up the steps of the apartment complex. The rest soon followed. Nobody but the animals gave him a second look as he strode down the streets with his hands tucked within his pockets. If his pack saw him now, they would have mocked him for throwing away his pride as a wolf, for blending in with the humans.

But he didn't lose anything and certainly not his pride. For the first time since he was abandoned by his pack, he felt safe living in sheep's clothing. Wolves were given the ability to adapt and survive. A wolf's illusion was just another weapon, yet no one but him seemed to understand that.

"_Their loss,_" he cynically thought. What did he care? It was now survival of the fittest. Humans had no reason to play fair, why should he?

The wound on his chest pained him with each jarring step and Tsume winced. He took a moment to stop and rub the red-spotted bandaged beneath his clothing. His thoughts wandered back to the woman who had the gall to take him in. Unlike the soldiers that had found his pack and attacked, she didn't seem particularly suspicious of him. Did she simply believe him to be another dog on the streets? Or was she aware of his origins but chose not to bring it up?

The morning cold prickled his skin and he fought the temptation of running back to the warmth that was her apartment. Yet among the crispness of winter, Tsume smelt something else. Something he was familiar with since the attack on his pack.

It was the scent of gunpowder and wolves.

Tsume's foot hit the pavement as he swiveled and ran back the way he came, ignoring the shocked gasps of citizens as a large tan wolf leapt out of the alley after him. He chanced a look and took notice that the leash had been removed, which just added another annoyance on his part. He could have easily outrun his pursuer had it been a dog but a wolf was a different matter entirely. All bets were off.

He ran into a nearby alley and wall-jumped up to the roofs. Tsume wouldn't dare engage the beast on public streets, not when other humans were on the lookout. The wolf followed him closely, jumping up after him till they both came across the widened gap that led to the streets below. Tsume stopped and peered down, gritting his teeth as he caught sight of the humans gathering like flies towards the commotion.

Tsume turned around and whipped out his jackknife. The wolf lunged for his arm and he moved it away just in time to have his blade caught between the teeth of his adversary.

"Never thought I'd actually see someone working for those scumbags," Tsume retorted as the wolf proceeded to jar his arm with every headshake. The smell of copper filled the air as blood flowed out from the canine's mouth and onto the concrete. There were no pained whimpers, no hiss of reply as the wolf continued to wrangle with Tsume's weapon. The lack of response was a cause for concern but Tsume didn't dwindle on it for too long.

He shifted his weight to one leg before he used the other to kick the wolf away from him, and nearly sent it flying off the roof's edge. The sound of a motor diverted Tsume's attention, and he took note of a vehicle heading his way with great speed. He looked back and narrowed his eyes as the tan wolf managed to scramble it's way back onto the rooftop. Tsume let out an irritated snort at this before he turned around and jumped.

He landed onto the truck's roof with a tumble and nearly sent himself careening over the back as it gave a startled swivel beneath him. Tsume thought quickly and pierced the end of his blade into the weak metal of the truck. His other hand desperately gripped the roof's edge before he forced his weight down to avoid skidding off.

Tsume could see the moving shadow above him and cursed when he caught sight of his pursuer. The tan wolf – from earlier – had followed after him from the rooftops. Just as the truck reached a new intersection and attempted to turn away – the wolf leapt off and landed on top of Tsume. Tsume hissed before he released his weapon and brought his hands up to stop the opposing jaws from ripping out his throat. The canines dug into his hands, puncturing into the skin and Tsume retaliated by kicking the wolf's soft underbelly.

Finally there was a reaction, and the wolf gave a loud whimper as it was forcibly thrown off. Tsume wouldn't give it the chance to recover, not when there were plenty more to deal with later on. He grabbed his jackknife and dislodged it from the truck before he reared his arm back and jammed it into the skull of the lunging wolf. It gave a gurgle before the light left its eyes and rolled back, its body slumped forward till the truck's turns dragged it closer to the edge. Tsume remembered to remove his blade before it happened and breathed a sigh of relief when the body fell to the streets below.

"_One down,_" Tsume thought but he was by no means safe. Someone had brought actual wolves to sniff him out – along with his kind. He wouldn't be safe here in this city, now when his scent was so distinct from that of dogs. You can't hide a wolf from a wolf, just as you can't hide one from a dog.

There was a scent of flowers permeating from somewhere, so faint that Tsume could have almost imagined it had it not been familiar.

He carefully crawled his way to the cab of the truck, hanging out on its sides before he reached into the opened windows and grabbed the red-haired driver by the shoulders.

"Take me to the train station," Tsume growled just as the woman let out a shrill scream at the sight of him.

"Holy motherfucking shit where the fuck did you come from?!" came the woman's panicked reply. "What the shit, is that blood!?" Cecelia was sitting in the passenger's seat, possibly stunned or mortified at the sight of him attempting grand theft auto.

"Don't make me ask again," Tsume warned the red-head.

Karla wouldn't have it this time, and she glared at him disdainfully. "I don't know who the fuck you are but keep it up, I'll send you face-planting into a stall," she retorted and swiveled the truck dangerously close to the sidewalks.

"Karla, no!" Cecelia hissed in trepidation as she lunged for the steering wheel.

"What? Ow! I was only half-serious!"

Tsume grunted at them before he took notice of the car that was following after them. "Shit," he murmured.

Karla heard him over the wind and peered at her mirrors before she cursed as well. "Fuck! They're still here!" she remarked before she took a right at an intersection, ignoring the honks of irritation the other drivers had given her for breaking the law. "Look uh…"

"Tsume," he told her. Cecelia blinked in surprise at the name but didn't seem to connect him with the wolf she had found in the back alleys.

"Right, _Tsume_," Karla echoed. "I'll take you to the station if you do me this one itty bitty favor."

He looked at her suspiciously but otherwise nodded for her to continue.

"You see my friend right here? Her name is Cecelia, and for some reason or another these assholes have been tailing her since we left the workplace. Authority is corrupt these days and I certainly don't trust whatever they have planned for her so I'll bite. I get you to the station and you get her out of town, capiche?"

"What?" Cecelia squeaked. "You want me to skip town with some random guy and my wallet!?"

"It's either that or they throw you in jail!" Karla argued. "They could have just walked up and ask you to come to the police station but no, instead they decided to stalk you and chase us around town. Tell me that doesn't sound suspicious?"

It was then Tsume realized why the men were after her in the first place. "_The wolves,_" he thought darkly. They must have caught his scent on her. The humans would believe she was harboring a wolf in her home, but they couldn't apprehend her without a viable warrant. And the existence of wolves was not going to fly with the police.

They arrived at the station in under half an hour, with Karla breaking the speed limit for a majority of their trip.

"Last stop kiddies," Karla commented as she braked in front of the train station.

Tsume got off quickly and waited impatiently for Cecelia to climb out of the cab. She did so slowly, her expression etched into one of guilt.

"I'm sorry Karla," she apologized to her co-worker.

It was then Tsume realized just how much trouble he had brought to the both of them. Cecelia would be forced to start over in another city, possibly live on the run, while Karla could be sentenced to life in prison for aiding and abetting a "criminal".

"I know an innocent face when I see one," Karla told Cecelia gently. "I've seen a lot of my friends go to jail for some stupid shit. I could have prevented that, helped them get on the right track. I had the power girl, but I never used it."

"But you don't even know me," Cecelia sniffed.

"So?" Karla gasped and reeled back as if offended. "You don't know me either and here you are crying for my sorry ass. Look, we don't have time for goodbyes right now. Just be a good girl and do what mommy Karla says ok?"

Cecelia let out a choked laugh but otherwise nodded wordlessly, not trusting herself to speak without bursting into tears.

Karla then looked over to Tsume. "I have a feeling this whole thing has something to do with you since you're so awfully compliant," she said before she jab a threatening finger in his direction. "You listen here asshole, I'll make this simple. If anything happens to her and I find out, you're dead pal! I will sic those guys on you and have them hunt you down like a dog!"

Tsume's eyes narrowed dangerously and his lips pulled back into a snarl.

The sound of sirens seemed to break the tension and Karla remembered where she was. "Time to get the hell out of here," Karla told them as Cecelia cautiously made her way to Tsume's side. "I'll give them the runaround, better give them two targets instead of one."

"Bye Karla," Cecelia said weakly and wiped her eyes.

The redhead simply shot her a teasing smile before she hit the gas pedal and tore out the lot without a backwards glance.

"I hope to see her again…" Cecelia murmured as they watch the truck disappear beyond the row of cars.

Tsume didn't say anything. Instead, he grabbed Cecelia's arm and pulled her roughly after him. "Hurry up woman," he barked at her. They couldn't stay here any longer or the wolves would get them.

Cecelia's irritation bubbled to the breaking point and she glared at him. "I can run just fine," she snapped before she ripped away her arm and proceeded to rush into the building. The station was full of people and there was slight fear that they might be too late. What if the earliest train had already left? How long would they have to wait for the next one?

They maneuvered themselves deeper into the station and stood in line for the last ticket booth, hiding themselves within mundane crowd. It would take their pursuers time to find them amongst so many faces. There was an extravagance of sights and smells that made it difficult for even Tsume to keep track of.

"I got it!" Cecelia said joyfully as she walked away from the booth and towards his impatient form. He caught her staring at his chest, and she laughed.

"What?" he asked. Why was she laughing? Wasn't she angry with him earlier? Women.

Cecelia shook her head and smiled brightly. "It's nothing big," she told him. "It's just those bandages on your chest sort of remind me of this dog I took home." At the thought of that, the smile fell right off. "Oh my god, I left him locked in my apartment." She looked ill and Tsume hoped to rectify that before they left. The last thing he needed was her reluctance on boarding the train because of some "dog".

"Dog's aren't that stupid." They are_._ "He'll find a way out a window or something." More like through your front door.

She looked relieved at that.

Some shouting out at the front lobby caught their attention and both Tsume and Cecelia turned to see soldiers storming into the building. At the men's heels were a number of large tan wolves that snapped at the people around them, causing everyone to stir into a panic.

"They're not going to release those dogs here, are they?" Cecelia asked him in concern.

"I wouldn't put it past them," he replied before he grabbed her arm and pulled her after him. "Which train?"

"Dock 6."

They hopped into their respective trains without confrontation and held their breath as the locomotive gave a lurch before it slowly proceeded to leave the station. Their hopes were soon dashed as the passengers from one of the lower cars screamed in fright. One of the wolves had managed to find its way onto their train and headed straight for them. Cecelia let out a shocked gasp and fell back onto her rump as the large canine lunged for her.

Tsume, in his panic, dropped his illusion and intercepted the wolf – tearing through tan fur with his sharp but cracked claws. Both attempted to fix the grip of their jaws, attempting to climb higher and higher and aim for the jugular only to nab only a mouthful of torn fur. Tsume managed to sink his teeth into the wolf's foreleg and throw his opponent off balance. The tan wolf hit the floor, leaving its stomach wide open. Tsume tore through the stomach easily with his fangs and backed off just as the wolf attempted to bite his face.

The next strike to the jugular was an easy one and Tsume latched on, clenching his jaws tightly before he violently shook his head to break the wolf's vertebrae. There was no movement from the other wolf but Tsume didn't release its throat till he was sure it was dead and gone. He breathed heavily from the rush of adrenaline that flooded his veins. Another minute and he dropped the body. His eyes warily turned to regard Cecelia while the rest of the passengers scrambled to the next car.

His human charge was pale from shock, and her lips quivered from behind trembled hands.

"I can't believe it," she breathed. "It's you."

Tsume.

* * *

HOMRA: Slow progress but I have to say that I like the edit a lot better than my old full of plot holes beginning.


End file.
